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Radiology Student Interest Group

Introduction

Welcome to the Radiology Student Interest Group (RSIG) homepage! This webpage is intended to serve primarily students who would like to know more about the field of radiology, and also provide resources for medical students (and pre-M1s) who are interested in, or would just like to know more about the field of radiology. On this webpage you will find some general information about the RSIG, and the field of radiology. We have included some statements from faculty about what they do, and why they love their field. Be sure to check out the "Links of Interest" section which contains several valuable resources.

What is Radiology?

Radiology is currently one of the most rapidly growing specialties in medicine. Every year, the scope of radiology increases as more imaging techniques become available, and as advancements in technology drive the current imaging modalities to even higher levels. When most people first think of radiology, they tend to think of "plain films" (i.e. X-rays of chests, broken bones, etc.) This is a very important part of radiology, but the breadth of the field goes well beyond just plain films. Currently several other imaging modalities are being used, including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), angiography, ultrasound, and others. Lately there has also been a great increase in functional imaging, where radiologist no longer look at just the anatomy, but can actually look at the chemical composition, bioactivity, and functioning of selected tissues in a way that gives us an even greater understanding of what is happening within the body in both normal and abnormal states.

Most of radiology is considered "diagnostic radiology." While it is true that the majority of what most radiologists due is considered diagnostic, there has been an increasingly blurred line between the diagnostic side of medicine and the therapeutic side. Radiation oncology, nuclear medicine, and interventional radiology all are playing an increasing role in going beyond the "simple" diagnosis of patients, and have come up with a number of very clever and innovative ways at treating patients who previously had to resort to major surgery. The field is a very exciting one, and one that is rapidly changing, much in part to advances in technology and the brilliant minds within the field.

What is the Radiology Student Interest Group?

The Radiology Student Interest Group was started in 2003. It is run by medical students with the assistance of a faculty sponsor from the within the department. The purpose of this group is to help expose students to the field of radiology, and serve as a resource for students who are interested in, or who would just like to know more about the field. The only requirement for membership is an interest in radiology.

We hold luncheons with a guest speaker every couple of months, and all students are welcome to attend. Topics covered at these luncheons vary from basic talks about the field of radiology, what a "typical day" entails in radiology, to more specific talks, such as advice for matching to residency programs, or about the research opportunities within the field. We also are planning a few focused talks about some of the cutting-edge developments within the field.

If you have any questions regarding radiology, feel free to **email** any of us. If we can’t answer your question, we will help you find someone who can. Occasionally we send out emails to just those members whose email we have on our mailing list.

The Virtual Hospital

This is a very comprehensive site that information for patients, students, and providers. Again, not specific to radiology, but a very comprehensive site with a lot of useful information. This is probably a site that you should become accustomed to early in your medical education.

MedicalStudent.com

This is a WONDERFUL resource for medical students! It is a site with literally hundreds of links for virtually ever branch of medicine (i.e. it is not specific to radiology.) This site was created and is maintained by Dr. Michael D’Alessandro, one of the pediatric radiologists here at the University of Iowa.

AuntMinnie.com

A website designed for all people involved in radiology. The site includes discussion forums, reviews of different programs, job-listings, and some of the latest news and information pertaining to medicines most exciting field!

American College of Radiology

Yahoo! image search

Sure, we all know about Yahoo!, but have you tried the "search images" feature? If, for example, you want to know what a chest film of a right upper lobe pneumonia looks like, simply do the following: 1) go to www.yahoo.com 2) click on the "images" tab 3) type in "RUL pneumonia". 4) Viola! You will not find pictures elsewhere any faster or more easily. (If you can, by all means let me know, so I can add a link to this page!)